Founded by HERD’s Adine Roode, the JabuLadies initiative brings women together through creativity, upskilling, and opportunity to build a bright and independent life for themselves.
Hoedspruit, South Africa (09 November 2026) – At Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development (HERD), a group of talented women are creating beautiful products while building brighter futures for themselves.
They are the JabuLadies: a community brought together by creativity, passion and opportunity through an empowerment initiative founded by HERD founder Adine Roode.
“The JabuLadies initiative intends to inspire, upskill and empower women from our Jabulani and HERD team and their local communities,” HERD explains.
“The ladies are involved in a variety of activities, such as creating collections of handcrafted pieces, from intricate embroidery and beadwork to thoughtful items designed for the home, travel and gifting. Each piece carries the skill, creativity and personal touch of the woman who made it.”
From carefully embroidered bookmarks and handmade luggage tags to beautiful bracelets and festive baubles, each creation has been made with skill and behind every piece is a hardworking woman putting her skills to work to earn an income.
The JabuLadies also recycle elephant dung into paper and make elephant dung soap infused with activated charcoal and essential oil. These creations bring together natural ingredients, thoughtful craftsmanship and the spirit of the Jabulani and HERD landscape.
Another part of the initiative, JabuJuice, helps create job opportunities for local women. Oranges donated by local farmers for the elephants are shared between the herd and the initiative, with a portion used to make freshly squeezed citrus juice – turning generosity into further opportunity.
For 34-year-old Patience Mabunda, being part of JabuLadies has meant being able to renovate her mother’s home and put food on the table.
“Coming from a poor family, I didn’t study further because there was no money. I got married in Cottendenal in 2016 and have one daughter. I became part of the Jabuladies in 2021. I used some of the money to renovate my mom’s house and the rest l use for groceries. The Jabuladies helped me a lot, and I learned new skills I can use at home.”
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“I enjoy making placemats and bookmarks, skills I learned from Adine Roode. Working with Jabuladies and the skills Adine has taught me empowered me to be an entrepreneur at home as well,” says Miriam, who started making clothes at home for her kids and taught herself how to bake.
It goes without saying that the JabuLadies contribute in many different ways. Some of their responsibilities extend beyond creating handcrafted products.
“Some assist with land restoration and brush packing, helping rehabilitate areas of the land by using cut vegetation to protect and support the soil as part of our Grasslands Restoration Project,” HERD explains.
Most also have other roles within the wider Jabulani and HERD operations. The majority are part of the Jabulani lodge’s housekeeping team, while others help with daily cleaning at HERD and the staff accommodation. One prepares meals for the elephant carers, and some also assist with community visits.
At its heart, JabuLadies is about nurturing the talents the women already have and giving them room to grow. As they strengthen their craftsmanship, they are developing a collection that feels increasingly refined and distinctive, while staying true to each maker and the place that inspired it.
Each creation carries more than beautiful handiwork: it holds a little of the woman behind it, the community around her and the natural world of Jabulani and HERD that inspires her. With every new skill shared and every piece created, the JabuLadies continue to grow and build towards something greater, together.
Sources: Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development
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